Restorations

Restoration of historic bows is quite a responsibility in that you want to keep the character of the work intact. So any work you do on a historic bow has to preserve the hand of the maker.

Ole Kanestrom

Restorations can bring a historic bow to a state of integrity and service appropriate for its age. It must be accomplished discretely to preserve its integrity. Because of the time required to complete this often delicate and intricate work, restorations are available on an appointment-only basis.

Each bow restoration is unique and requires an understanding of the original maker's signature working mannerisms, style, materials and tool tracks. Before beginning work on such a bow I require a thorough examination and evaluation of the work at hand, after which I provide a proposed outline for how to complete the work along with an cost estimate for approval by the customer. As work progresses on the bow it is often necessary to revisit and adjust the original estimate, it is the nature of the beast. It's not uncommon to uncover unforeseen damage as one gets deeper into the work. The work is accompanied by photographs.

Tubbs Bow Restoration

Here is a severely worn Tubbs bow with no tip plate and damaged stick and frog. The stick wear in the handle had been poorly filled and the only option was to inlay a new piece of wood to regain the integrity and strength of the original. The frog had been repaired with a horrific match of ebony in the cheval. That was removed and a new cheval with silver underslide installed with greater care in the selection of materials. The restoration was completed with the addition of a new silver tip plate and all new pearl in the frog.

Tortoise Shell Bow Restoration

This beautiful tortoise shell frog had been severely bug damaged. Using a technique of epoxy and matching dyes, it now looks as if nothing happened to the frog. The translucency, color and luster match the original perfectly.